It's a funny old game

Soccer news from Belgium:

A third-division provincial girls football team entered the annals of Belgian soccer on Saturday after suffering a crushing 50-1 defeat because of the absence of a single but crucial player: their music-loving goalkeeper.

SK Berlaar's goal was left unguarded in a match with FC Malines after its goalie opted instead to go to a rock festival, Het Laatste Nieuws reported Monday.

That works out to a goal every 108 seconds. Assuming it takes up to 20 seconds to restart from goal to kick-off, you can figure on a goal every 90 seconds.

As every British schoolboy knows, the world record for a senior men’s match is: Arbroath 36, Bon Accord 0 in the 1885 Scottish FA Cup. Reports from the time suggested that the score could have been much higher! But no evidence that Bon Accord’s goalie bunked off.

Not surprisingly, Bon Accord FC are no longer with us. These days Arbroath – the Red Lichties - grind out in the lowest rung of the Scottish League.

Back in student days I watched the opening period of a junior hockey game – after going ice skating - when one side’s goalie was late getting to the game. The other team netted a dozen or more, scoring at will. Once saw the Washington Capitals score ten at the MCI Center against Tampa Bay.